The present invention relates to an electric refrigerator, and more particularly to a technique for eliminating temperature unevenness within a refrigerating compartment to improve a food preservation state.
In many cases, an electric refrigerator has several storing compartments such as a refrigerating compartment, a vegetable compartment and a freezer compartment, which are set at different temperature zones. One example will be described with reference to FIG. 40. In recent years, the electric refrigerator is constructed such that are frigerating compartment 100 having the highest frequency of use from a human engineering point of view is placed at its uppermost stage, and at its lower stages, a switchable compartment 200 such as a chilled compartment, a vegetable compartment 300 and a freezer compartment 400 are placed. The temperature in the switchable compartment 200 is made selectively adjustable between a freezing temperature zone and a refrigerated temperature zone in accordance with a contained object such as a chilled food.
A chill, i.e. chilled air, is generated by a heat exchanger (evaporator) 1 connected to a compressor C, and the chill is supplied to each storing compartment 100 to 400 through a duct 3 by a blower 2. A housing for the main body R of the electric refrigerator consists of an inner case 4 and an outer case 5 which have been assembled with thermal insulting material interposed therebetween, and on the back surface side within its compartment, between the back surface and the inner case 4, there is provided a duct cover 9 forming the duct 3, and the heat exchanger 1 and the blower 2 are disposed within the duct 3.
Since the duct 3 is provided on a back surface side of the main body R of the refrigerator, the chill is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 100 and the switchable compartment (for example, chilled compartment) 200 and the like from their back surfaces, and is returned to a suction side of the heat exchanger 1 through a predetermined chill return duct.
In this respect, in this example, the chill supplied to the refrigerating compartment 100 is conducted into the vegetable compartment 300 through a by-pass pipe 6, and thereafter, is to be returned to the suction side of the heat exchanger 1. When the vegetable compartment 300 is placed under the refrigerating compartment 100, however, on a partition wall between the refrigerating compartment 100 and the vegetable compartment 300, the is provided a ventilation port in such a manner that the chill is supplied from the refrigerating compartment 100 to the vegetable compartment 300.
Since it has adopted a back surface blow-off system in which the chill is supplied from the back surface side of the storing compartment, a conventional electric refrigerator has had the following problem. That is, as regards the storing compartment 100, since its shelf plates are filled with foods in the majority of cases, they become an obstacle to supply of chill, thus making it difficult to cool the front surface side of the refrigerating compartment 100.
Not only that, but also the refrigerating compartment 100 is kept in a substantially hermetically-sealed state by a door D, but heat always enters through its gasket portion. Since the door D of the refrigerating compartment 100 is frequently opened and closed, particularly on the front surface side of the refrigerating compartment 100, heat is heavily moved in and out. From these reasons, between the back surface side and the front surface side of the refrigerating compartment 100, there has been caused temperature unevenness.
Also, among each storing compartment, the refrigerating compartment 100 requires the largest amount of chill, but the heat exchanger 1 is arranged below the duct 3 because of relationship with the compressor C and a duct course until the chill reaches the refrigerating compartment 100 is long. Therefore, the chill becomes higher in temperature due to heat exchange with the outside in a process, in which the chill moves, and chill loss caused by this movement is also great.
Further, the above-described conventional chill circulation system has had the following problems. First, as regards the vegetable compartment 300, since the chill is supplied from the refrigerating compartment 100 on the upstream side, its temperature depends upon a temperature of the refrigerating compartment 100, and delicate temperature control cannot only be performed, but also an offensive smell unique to the refrigerating compartment is brought about to the vegetable compartment 300 together with the chill.
Also, in recent years, in order to properly store in accordance with kind of vegetable, it has been proposed to partition the vegetable compartment 300 into a high-temperature vegetable compartment and a low-temperature vegetable compartment, but in the above-described conventional chill circulation system, it is difficult to produce high temperature and low temperature, and in order to realize them, a considerably high technique is required.
According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate particularly temperature unevenness within the refrigerating compartment, and to effectively cool preserved foods with less chilled air loss.
Also, according to the present invention, a temperature within each storing compartment can be individually controlled independently of other storing compartment temperature. Particularly, in the case where the vegetable compartment is partitioned into a low-temperature vegetable compartment and a high-temperature vegetable compartment, it is possible to adjust temperature within each compartment individually and appropriately. For this reason, the present invention has several special features to be described hereinafter.
First, in the present invention, a storing compartment capable of being opened or closed by a door is included and a chill, i.e. chilled air, generated by a heat exchanger flows from a front surface side facing the door within the storing compartment toward the rear in the depth.
In this case, even if the storing compartment is arranged not at the upper stage, but at the intermediate stage of the main body of the refrigerator, the present invention is applicable. That is, when the storing compartment is arranged, for example, at the intermediate stage of the main body of the refrigerator, a duct can be drawn into its inside partition wall so as to blow out the chill from the front surface side of the storing compartment.
In the present invention, the storing compartment is preferably a refrigerating compartment, and when the refrigerating compartment is arranged at the upper stage of the main body of the refrigerator, between an inner case and an outer case, a duct is formed from the back surface side of the compartment over the top surface side; at one end of the duct on the top surface side, there is provided a chill blow-off port, which is opened in the upper portion of the front surface of the refrigerating compartment on the door side; and the back wall of the refrigerating compartment is formed with a first chill return port communicating to the duct, whereby the chill can be flowed from the front surface side within the refrigerating compartment toward the rear in the depth.
When the vegetable compartment is arranged in the lower part of the refrigerating compartment, it may be possible to form a second chill return port communicating to the duct on the back wall of the vegetable compartment so as to supply the chill into the vegetable compartment through the refrigerating compartment. Also, it may be possible to supply the chill into the vegetable compartment through the dedicated duct and to return the chill within the vegetable compartment from its first chill return port to the duct through the refrigerating compartment, and either of these aspects is also included in the present invention.
In this case, facing a chill passage to be formed between the vegetable compartment and the refrigerating compartment, it is preferable to provide deodorizing means. Also, apart from this, on the suction side of the heat exchanger, there is provided deodorizing means, whereby the chill circulating within the compartment can be effectively deodorized. In this respect, the deodorizing means preferably contains an anti-fungus agent.
Within the duct, there are contained the blower and the heat exchanger, and according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, in order to shorten a supplying course for the chill, the blower and the heat exchanger are arranged in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment on the back surface side.
The interior of the refrigerating compartment is partitioned into a plurality of storage portions in multistage by means of shelf plates, and when the blower and the heat exchanger are arranged in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment on the back surface side, it is advisable to provide the first chill return port in a storage portion at a lower stage except a storage portion at the uppermost stage, and to cause the storage portion at the uppermost stage to communicate to the storage portion at the next stage through a ventilation port.
The above-described ventilation port may also be a clearance having a predetermined width provided between the shelf plate at the uppermost stage and the back wall of the refrigerating compartment, and it is preferable to upwardly curve a rear end of the shelf plate at the uppermost stage at a predetermined curvature for forming a ventilation port in the curved portion, or to provide a side wall having a predetermined width, upwardly protruding like a U-character in cross section at the rear end of the shelf plate at the uppermost stage for forming a ventilation port on the top surface of the side wall, and it is possible to thereby prevent water drops from falling.
In the case where within the duct, the blower and the heat exchanger are arranged in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment on the back surface side; in the lower part of the refrigerating compartment, there is arranged a vegetable compartment, into which a chill from the refrigerating compartment is supplied; and the back wall of the vegetable compartment is also formed with a second chill return port communicating to the duct. According to the special feature of the present invention, in order to facilitate control of wind pressure, the back surface duct within the duct is divided into a refrigerating compartment return duct for conducting a chill from the refrigerating compartment to the suction side of the heat exchanger, and a vegetable compartment return duct for conducting a chill from the vegetable compartment to the suction side of the heat exchanger. In this case, a sectional area of the vegetable compartment return duct is preferably larger than that of the refrigerating compartment return duct.
The interior of the refrigerating compartment is partitioned into a plurality of storage portions in multistage by means of shelf plates, and according to the present invention, in order to make temperatures among the storage portions as uniform as possible, each of at least second stage and subsequent storage portions from above is provided with a first chill return port on its both left and right sides; correspondingly thereto, refrigerating compartment return ducts are provided on both left and right sides of the back surface duct; and therebetween, a vegetable compartment return duct is arranged.
The interior of the refrigerating compartment return duct may be further subdivided for each first chill return port of each storage portion, and it is possible to thereby delicately control wind pressure within the refrigerating compartment return duct and to make temperatures among the storage portions further uniform.
According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, each first chill return port to be provided for the refrigerating compartment is attached with a hood for directing a chill to be returned from within the refrigerating compartment to the suction side of the heat exchanger to prevent any occurrence of turbulence.
Also, according to another special feature of the present invention, in order to eliminate temperature unevenness in the storage portion at the uppermost stage partitioned by means of the shelf plate within the refrigerating compartment, the upper wall of the storage portion at the uppermost stage is also provided with a third chill return port communicating to the top surface duct within the duct. In this case, the third chill return port is preferably provided with a hood for directing the chill to be returned to the top surface duct from within the storage portion at the uppermost stage to the chill blow-off port side.
In this respect, it may be possible to divide the interior of the top surface duct into a chill supply duct extending from the air supply side of the heat exchanger toward the chill blow-off port, and a chill return duct for conducting the chill returned from the third chill return port to the suction side of the heat exchanger for returning the chill from the storage portion at the uppermost stage to the suction side of the heat exchanger. Even in this case, the third chill return port may be provided with a hood for directing the chill to be returned to the top surface duct from within the storage portion at the uppermost stage toward the suction side of the heat exchanger.
The present invention also includes an aspect in which in the lower part of the refrigerating compartment, there is arranged a vegetable compartment, into which a chill is supplied from the refrigerating compartment; on the back wall of the vegetable compartment, there is also formed a second chill return port communicating to the duct; and the blower and the heat exchanger are arranged on the back surface side of, for example, the vegetable compartment in the lower part within the back surface duct of the duct. In this case, the interior of the back surface duct is to be divided into a chill supply duct extending from the air supply side of the heat exchanger toward the chill blow-off port, and a refrigerating compartment return duct for conducting the chill from the first chill return port of the refrigerating compartment to the suction side of the heat exchanger.
Contrary to this, it may be possible to divide the interior of the back surface duct into a first chill supply duct extending from the air supply side of the heat exchanger toward the chill blow-off port, and a second chill supply duct for conducting the chill from the first chill return port of the refrigerating compartment toward the chill blow-off port in the same manner.
In this aspect, the sectional area of the chill supply duct is preferably made larger than that of the refrigerating compartment return duct. In this respect, the chill in the vegetable compartment is conducted from the second chill return port to the suction side of the heat exchanger.
Also, even in an aspect in which the blower and the heat exchanger are arranged in the lower part within the back surface duct of the duct, of a plurality of storage portions partitioned by shelf plates within the refrigerating compartment, it is preferable to provide each of at least second stage and subsequent storage portions from above with a first chill return port on its both left and right sides, to provide a refrigerating compartment return duct each on both left and right sides of the back surface duct, and to arrange a chill supply duct therebetween. Also, the upper wall of the storage portion at the uppermost stage may be provided with a third chill return port communicating to the top surface duct within the duct.
As another aspect, it may be possible to divide the interior of the duct into a first chill supply duct extending from the air supply side of the heat exchanger toward the chill blow-off port, and a second chill supply duct for conducting the chills from the first chill return port and the third chill return port toward the chill blow-off port.
Also, as still another aspect, it is also possible to divide the interior of the duct into a chill supply duct extending from the air supply side of the heat exchanger toward the chill blow-off port, and a chill return duct for conducting the chills from the first chill return port and the third chill return port toward the suction side of the heat exchanger.
As further aspect, it may be possible to conduct the chill from the third chill return port to the chill blow-off port side, and to conduct the chill from the first chill return port to the suction side of the heat exchanger. In this case, between the chill supply duct including the third chill return port and the chill return duct including the first chill return port, there is provided a shielding plate.
In this respect, in each of the above-described aspects, the duct has been divided in the lateral direction, but it is also possible to divide in a back-and-forth direction as viewed from the compartment side in some cases.
A more specific feature of the present invention is that in an electric refrigerator in which the interior of a compartment is partitioned into a plurality of space in multistage by means of partition walls; space at the uppermost part is allocated to a refrigerating compartment; and space in the lower parts is used for other storing compartments such as a vegetable compartment and a freezer compartment, in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment on the back surface side there are arranged a blower and a heat exchanger; and a part of a chill to be supplied from the blower is conducted to at least the vegetable compartment through a dedicated duct.
According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, within compartments of the main body of the refrigerator, there are included a back surface duct and a top surface duct which have been continuously formed from their back surface side over the top surface side; at one end of the top surface duct, there is provided a duct having a chill blow-off port, which is opened within the refrigerating compartment; in the upper part of the refrigerating compartment on the back surface side within the same duct, there are arranged a blower and a heat exchanger; at least into the vegetable compartment, a part of a chill to be supplied from the blower is conducted through a dedicated duct; and the chill in each compartment is returned to the heat exchanger side through the back surface duct.
Even in this case, a chill blow-off port for the top surface duct is arranged in the upper part of the front surface of the refrigerating compartment; the back wall of the refrigerating compartment is formed with a chill return port communicating to the back surface duct, whereby it is possible to flow the chill from the front surface side within the refrigerating compartment toward the rear in the depth, making it possible to eliminate any temperature unevenness within the refrigerating compartment.
When a switchable compartment (for example, chilled compartment) is allocated to one of the storing compartments, a part of the chill to be supplied from the blower is preferably supplied also into the switchable compartment through a dedicated duct. In this case, the dedicated duct may be used for both the vegetable compartment and the switchable compartment as a mixing duct; and a dedicated duct for the vegetable compartment and a dedicated duct for the switchable compartment may be separately provided. Either of those aspects is included in the present invention.
In the present invention, there are several methods to guide through the dedicated duct, and when the dedicated duct is formed on the back surface of the duct cover through the use of thermal insulating material, the dedicated duct can be conducted to the vegetable compartment or the switchable compartment through within the back surface duct.
When the dedicated duct is arranged in the corner of an inner case forming the compartment, the inner case can be utilized as one portion of the same dedicated duct, and the cost can be reduced. In this respect, the dedicated duct may be arranged along the side within the compartment.
For the blower, across flow fan is used, and according to the present invention, at a portion of the air supply port on one end side, there is arranged one end of the dedicated duct, and the same dedicated duct is caused to pass through along the side of the heat exchanger and is conducted downward. Thereby, the dedicated duct can be provided without reducing the internal capacity of the compartment, and its duct area can be also taken large. Apart from this, it may be possible to conduct the dedicated duct downward by passing it through forward of the heat exchanger, and in this case, heat in the heat exchanger can be transmitted to the dedicated duct.
A part of the chill to be supplied from the blower is conducted into the vegetable compartment or the switchable compartment through the dedicated duct, and the remainder is conducted to the chill blow-off port through the top surface duct, and according to the present invention, within the top surface duct, there is provided a first chill guide plate for making the chill to be blown out from the chill blow-off port uniform.
Also, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve efficient chill circulation, between the heat exchanger and the suction port of the blower, there is provided a second chill guide plate for conducting a part of the chill generated by the heat exchanger to the suction port of the dedicated duct to be arranged on end side of the blower.
When the interior of the vegetable compartment is partitioned into a low-temperature vegetable compartment and a high-temperature vegetable compartment through a partition wall, the chill is supplied to each of the vegetable compartments through their respective different dedicated ducts. In this case, it is possible to delicately perform temperature control in the low-temperature vegetable compartment and the high-temperature vegetable compartment.
According to another special feature of the present invention, in the dedicated duct of the high-temperature vegetable compartment, a portion of condensation pipe is guided through with the aim of preventing condensation and regulating temperature. Also, in the dedicated duct for the high-temperature vegetable compartment, there is arranged a control circuit substrate having heating components.
In order to enable delicate temperature adjustment, at least one of the dedicated ducts is preferably provided with a shutter for adjusting an amount of chill supplied for the low-temperature vegetable compartment or the high-temperature vegetable compartment.